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A's acquire Adam Dunn from White Sox

By John Hickey jhickey@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted:
08/31/2014 09:13:19 AM PDT

Updated:
08/31/2014 09:42:14 PM PDT

ANAHEIM -- Adam Dunn is expected to join the A's lineup Monday, and maybe he can help.

In the midst of a stretch of 29 consecutive innings without scoring a run, the A's on Sunday acquired the left-handed designated hitter with the hopes that he can generate offense that was missing during the team's 12-17 August skid.

Dunn, who has 460 career home runs, waived his no-trade contract with the Chicago White Sox to join the A's, who sent minor league pitcher Nolan Sanburn to Chicago. Oakland also got a cash infusion equal to about half of Dunn's salary for the final month. Dunn is in the final year of a four-year contract worth $56 million.

He will be in the A's starting lineup for Monday's game against Seattle at the Coliseum.

Dunn, 34, has never reached the postseason in a career that spans 1,976 games -- the longest drought among active players.

The A's preach all the time about not being a one-man team, but after falling five games out of first place in the American League West, they are looking for one man to help rekindle the offensive fire that once burned brightly in Oakland.

"This is a guy who is chasing 500 home runs, and he'd rather have a World Series ring over that," A's outfielder Jonny Gomes said of Dunn, a friend. "And that's the kind of guy I want on my team. He's hungry for it."

The A's, who were shut out by the Angels on Friday and Saturday before Josh Reddick's eighth-inning single Sunday ended the scoreless inning streak at 29, were averaging 5.2 runs in the season's first 81 games They've averaged just 4.0 runs in the 55 games since, 3.6 per game in August.

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When asked if this deal was a reaction to the A's slumping after the July 31 trade of Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for starter Jon Lester and left fielder Gomes, assistant general manager David Forst pointed to poor offensive production coming well before the Cespedes deal.

"Going back to before the All-Star break we have not been the same offensive team we were the first three months of the year," Forst said. "That's not to say that we can't get back to doing that, because there are still lots of guys in this lineup who can get on base and drive in runs."

The A's are down an average of 1.2 runs per game since June 29, a time span that includes one month with Cespedes in the lineup and one month without.

Dunn is batting .220 with 20 homers and 54 RBI. Manager Bob Melvin said the plan is for Dunn to serve as the designated hitter against right-handed pitchers. All but two of Dunn's 20 home runs this season have come against right-handers.

"We're trying to do whatever we can to get some offense going here," Melvin said. "He has a history of hitting homers and getting on base. I talked with him this morning, and for a guy to waive his no-trade clause and come over here means he's pretty excited."

The only hot hitter in the middle of the A's lineup is third baseman Josh Donaldson, who is 12 for 24 with four doubles and a homer in his last seven games. First baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss has 23 homers for the year but none since July 24. Reddick is hitting .206 over his last 20 games. Catcher Derek Norris was 0 for 15 before a ninth-inning single Saturday. First baseman Stephen Vogt, a .351 hitter through July, is hitting .212 in August.

Without Dunn yet available, the 4-5-6 spots in the A's order Sunday were Vogt, Moss and Norris. They went 2 for 12, both hits going to Norris.

"It definitely can solidify the middle of the lineup," said Moss, who could lose some at-bats with Dunn's arrival. "A guy like that brings a presence to the middle of the lineup."

Dunn has mostly been a D.H. this season, but has started 22 games at first base and five in the outfield.

"He's a power guy who's used to hitting in the middle," Melvin said. "He's a production guy. And he fits in here, too, in that he will take a walk. I think it's really exciting for him at this point to come in and play meaningful games in September. He wants to help a team get to the postseason. The longer you have played in this game, it's all about winning. And now he's with a club that has a chance. That's an exciting variable for him."

The A's had been in command of the American League West for most of the season, but a terrible August and a surge by the Angels have Oakland looking at having to make up a five-game deficit in the division. They hope Dunn can be a catalyst.

"He's a good player," said center fielder Coco Crisp, another of the A's who knows Dunn reasonably well. "And he's a good guy. I like it."

Sanburn, 23, was 3-1 with six saves and a 3.28 ERA in 42 games as a reliever for Class-A Stockton this season. He was the A's second-round pick in the 2012 draft.